Some Information on Sapphires

April 22, 2015

Stewart Kuper

Sapphires are a naturally occurring gemstones that can also be manufactured synthetically. It is one of the three varieties of corundum, another variety being a ruby. Sapphires are traditionally a dark, beaming aqua blue, but they can also be yellow, pink, or even red. They are extremely hard, weighing in at 9 on MOHS scale of hardness. Only diamonds and moissanite are harder. Its etymology can be traced back to a Sanskrit word that means “Dear to God.” Indeed, the precious stone has a long tradition of religious groups adopting its beauty and reputation to support their cause.Sapphire Used to Explain the Universe
Ancient Persian creation myths hold that the surface of the earth is a smooth slate comprised entirely of a dark blue Sapphire. In a sense they believed that the earth was a giant Sapphire. And thus the color of the sky is blue because the beams radiating from earth’s Sapphire surface projects a beautiful light blue firmament. We now know the sky is blue because light reflects off the ocean, but the Persian creation myth is not that far off.Moses and Sapphires
In antiquity, lawyers, statesmen, and kings adorned sapphires to symbolize their wisdom and sincerity. It was thought that anyone wearing a sapphire could only speak the truth. Judea Christian tradition holds that Moses inscribed the Ten Commandments on a slate of pure Sapphire. Thus, this symbolizes the infallible truth of God’s law. High priests in the Judea tradition adorned themselves with sapphires to symbolize that they were the mouth piece for God’s truth.